Rail-joint.



No. 737,422. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903,

, F. V. LACY.

RAIL JOINT. I APPLICATION FILED PEB.17, 1903.

NO MODEL.

No. 737,422. I

UNITED STATES Patented August 25, 1903.

FREDERICK V. LACY, OF CHESTER, WEST VIRGINIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

$PEOIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 737,422, dated August 25, 1903.

Application filed February 17,1903. SerialNo. 143,789. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK V. LACY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chester, in the county of Hancock and State of \Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, ref erence being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail-joints, and has for its primary object the joining of the rails together without the aid of the ordinary bolts and nuts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a joint easily and quickly made and'capable of being easily and readily removed for the purpose of placing a new rail in position or for other cause.

A still further object of the invention is to employ an intermediate or rail section between the abutting endsof the rails, which rail-section forms a part of the rails when in position, thus requiring rails of slightly less length and cheapening the cost of the rails to some extent.

Briefly described, the invention comprises an intermediate rail-section, which carries projecting outwardly from opposite ends thereof the embracing fish-plates for engagement with the webs of the rails. One pair of these fish-plates are spaced just far enough to admit the web of one of the rails, while the other pair of the plates are spaced sufficiently far apart to permit their being passed down over the tread of the rail. After the connecting member has been thus placed in position filler-plates are driven in between the one pair of fish-plates and the web of one rail and the connecting member is securely spiked to the cross-ties.

All of the above construction will be here inafter more specifically described and then particularly pointed out in the claims, and in describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and wherein like numerals of reference will be employed for designating like parts throughout the different views of the drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is a detail perspective view showing my improved joint in position, one of the rails being in section. vertical sectional view of my improved joint, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view thereof.

To describe the invention in detail like numerals will be employed in the different views.

The rails to be joined together are indicated by the numerals l and 2. These rails when laid on the cross-ties instead of being brought with their ends close together are left spaced apart for some distance-say aboutsixinchesorsoin practice. Thisspace is filled by an intermediate rail section or block 3, the upper portion of which is formed with a tread conforming to thetread of the rails 1 and 2. This intermediate rail section or block carries outwardly-extending fishplates 4 4, which are adapted to receive the web of the rail 2, said fish-plates extending outward centrally from the intermediate section or block and fitting neatly with said web. From the opposite end of the intermediate rail section or block there is a pair of outwardly-projecting fish-plates 5 5, the space between which is of sufficient distance to permit of the connecting member being lowered over the tread of the rail 1. This is done for the reason that if the fish-plates projecting from opposite ends of the intermediate rail section or block were both of the width to just receive the web of the rails it would be impossible to remove the rails without beginning at the end of the track. After the fishplates 5 5 have been lowered over the tread of the rail 1 to position the space between these plates and the Web of raill is compensated for by filler-plates 6, which may be made of channel-beam form, as shown, in order to lighten the same, and have their upper flanges grooved to receive the fish-plates, as shown in Fig. 2, the flange overlying the fishplates and engaging the underneath face of the rail-tread. These flanges 7 form a means by which the plates may be driven out, and these plates at their rear ends are provided with outturned flanges 8, which close the spaces when the filler-plates are in position and form a driving-surface to permit the ready driving of the plates into position, and also it may be engaged by acrowbar or the Fig. 2 is a transverse like for removing the filler-plates from their position. The lower flanges of the fillerplates rest upon the base of the rail 1, and these lower flanges may or may not be provided with a small boss or lug 9 to engage in a seat provided therefor in the inner face of the plates 5, whereby to hold the filler-plates in position and prevent their accidental displacement. The connecting member embodying the intermediate rail-section and the fish-plates has an integral base or flange 10, which rests upon the base of the rails and which is engaged by the ordinary securingspikes 11,which fasten the connecting member to the cross-ties. In practice the rail 1 may be placed in position on the cross-ties. The connecting member is placed on the rail 2, the fish-plates 4 4 spanning the web thereof, and the rail 2 then placed in position,'the fish-plates 5 5 passing down over the tread of the rail 1. The filler-plates are driven into position and the connecting member securely spiked to the cross-ties. It is to be noted that the joint is most easily and quickly made and may also be readily removed to permit replacing of the rails when desired.

While I have herein shown and described the invention in detail as to all of its parts, yet it will be observed that in practice various changes may be made in these details without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

comprising an intermediate rail-section with a pair of fish-plates projecting from one endthereof to embrace the web of one rail member, a pair of fish-plates projecting from the opposite end of said rail-section and spaced apart whereby to permit their being passed over the rail-tread, and filler-plates between said last-named fish-plates and the rail member, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the adjacent rail members, of a connecting member embodying an intermediate rail-section, fish-plates projecting in pairs from opposite ends thereof, one pair of said fish-plates adapted to embrace the web of one rail member, and the other pair of fish-plates adapted to be passed over the tread of the other rail member and be free from engagement with the web of said rail,filler-plates between said latter fish-plates and the web of the rail member, means for securing said filler-plates in position, and means for securing the connecting member to the cross-ties, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the adjacent rail members, of a connecting member comprising an intermediate rail-section, a pair of fishplates projecting from each end thereof, one pair of said plates embracing the web of one rail member, filler-plates interposed between the other pair of fisheplates and the other rail member, and means forsecuring the connecting member to the cross-ties, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK V. LACY.

Witnesses:

W. G. JOHNSTON, WALTER O. ALLISON. 

